SUMMARY: You have probably read that sales for the new iPhone are sucking wind. If that’s not bad enough Apple’s latest TV commercials for the new iPhones are bad, I mean REALLY bad.
Marketers keep forgetting that advertising, any and all advertising, are supposed to drive sales. As the Super Bowl approaches we are going to see a lot of reviews for the $3 million spots that may entertain us, but do very little to motivate consumers to actually buy the product.
During the NFL playoffs Apple has been airing spots for the new iPhones that feature a lot of people in colored overalls running around. These spots are supposed to make people say “I want a new iPhone” but instead they are typical Apple arrogance even though iPhone sales are so bad Apple’s stock has taken a major hit.
The reason people aren’t purchasing a new iPhone is actually pretty simple. Their current iPhones work just fine and there isn’t any reason to spend $800 for a new one. Apple hasn’t given consumers a good reason to scrap their old iPhones and despite this they seem to be making the same mistake with the planned release of three new iPhones this year.
There is an active debate with ad agencies, whether a commercial should entertain or sell its audience. I have been entertained by many spots, but I can’t remember the last time one actually made me want to buy something. Budweiser, which is losing market share to craft beers, has already bought three or four spots, but are people really going to switch from a craft brewery to Budweiser’s stale brand?
With prices of Apple products a lot higher than the competition, it’s been said that Apple is following a luxury brand strategy. Based on a social media analysis of
Apple put all their eggs in the iPhone team but failed to see that eventually consumers would be satisfied with older models rather than paying $800 for a new one. They believe that you’re going to shell out more money for new iPhone without a beveled screen in 2019. It’s a huge mistake and even Forbes said that they don’t seem to be learning from their mistakes.
Steve Jobs didn’t believe in doing any market research, but perhaps someone at Apple had better start believing in research because they still believe their own hype. Either way the new spots are a reminder of just ho bad Apple’s marketing has become.
